My New Trek Valencia+

The + means that it has a hub motor and battery. I got it because I'm
closing in on 60 and have a 30 mile (r/t) commute. The hills and
headwinds have been combining to make it unpleasant lately so I
figured that I'd find a way to make it more fun.

Well, this bike sure does make it more fun. There's no throttle; it
only works in Pedal Assist mode. The controller allows me to select
anywhere from no assistance to 200% assistance. It will not work at
all if I'm not pedaling. I didn't want a moped, I wanted a bike that
gave me the equivalent of a 20 mile (r/t) commute.

I went up the Queensboro Bridge at around 16 mph. My normal speed up
that thing is 8 mph and that's while I invent new words. I got to work
so fast that I had to kill time because I can't bring the bike up to
my office before the freight elevator starts working at 8am.

Killing time was interesting. One of the neat things about the bike is
that there are also four regeneration modes that let you charge the
battery, sort of like a Prius but hopefully without a recall. I kept
it on the lowest regen setting and biked along at normal speed for the
last few miles. It's sort of like a Spinning bike; I can set the regen
mode to give me more resistance. I probably got about the same
exercise as normal but more of it was on the flats and less on the
hills.

Trek used the Bionx kit as the basis for the electronics, and I'm not
sure I wouldn't have been better off just putting a Bionx kit on my
old bike. The battery Trek uses is 6.4 MA instead of 10.0 on the
normal kit. That means that the range, using mostly the lowest level
of assist, is around 30 miles instead of 45 or 50. But it's enough for
my commute - although I bought an extra charger and leave one at home
and one at the office. I understand that it isn't good for the battery
to continuously run it down.

It is very back-heavy. The standard Bionx kit puts the battery in the
center of the frame while the Trek has it on a special rear rack.
Still, it is light enough so it's still a pleasure to ride without
needing the power at all. Unlike the $500 Ebikes that use SLA
batteries and can't really be used as a regular bike, this one is a
regular bike - although at around $2400 (with tax) it isn't cheap.

So far, so good. And only possible because NYC passed a law that
forces commercial buildings to let bikes in. Thank you, NYC Council
members. I sure wasn't leaving this bike outside like my trusty old
Trek 7100.

dgk wrote:

It is very back-heavy. The standard Bionx kit puts the battery in the
center of the frame while the Trek has it on a special rear rack.

Trek essentially threw a motor and battery on the Valencia without doing
the human factors and ergonomic engineering that are necessary for an
electrically assisted bicycle. The rear rack is a terrible location for
the battery.

A good Li-Ion powered electric bicycle costs around $1000 from Pacific
E-Bike, but the range is only about 20 miles. Still, with a spare
charger ($35), this is sufficient for most people's commutes. Plus you
can always remove the battery and use it as a regular bicycle.

"http://www.pacificebike.com/motor.html"

On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:05:40 -0700, SMS
wrote:

dgk wrote:

It is very back-heavy. The standard Bionx kit puts the battery in the
center of the frame while the Trek has it on a special rear rack.

Trek essentially threw a motor and battery on the Valencia without doing
the human factors and ergonomic engineering that are necessary for an
electrically assisted bicycle. The rear rack is a terrible location for
the battery.

A good Li-Ion powered electric bicycle costs around $1000 from Pacific
E-Bike, but the range is only about 20 miles. Still, with a spare
charger ($35), this is sufficient for most people's commutes. Plus you
can always remove the battery and use it as a regular bicycle.

"http://www.pacificebike.com/motor.html"


I looked at those, and quite a few others, before going with the Trek.
I like the way the pedal assist works and Yoga clearly doesn't use
that; it appears to use a plain old throttle. They also look like they
weigh a ton (or 70 lbs), and there are no specs at all about
components. The Trek is reasonably heavy, but the only problem I've
found with the weight distribution is when I'm off the bike because
maneuvering it is a bit unwieldy, although I'm getting used to it
after a few days.

The Trek is a Valencia with good components, and I was thinking about
getting that model (or the 7300) even before I started thinking about
an Ebike. I've put 15,000 miles on my 7100 and it's still a good bike
that I'll continue using when it's impractical to use the Valencia+.
That would be any time I have to leave it outside.

The Yoga also only uses a 250 watt motor. From what I've been reading
on various Ebike forums, that's a bit underpowered. I actually wanted
the battery on the rear rack because an Ebike technically isn't legal
where I live - so with rear panniers it's a bit less obvious since the
panniers cover the battery. I am ordering front panniers just to help
a bit with the weight distribution.

The only real problems with the Trek are that it's about $500
overpriced given the relatively weak battery. Otherwise, it's about
what a Valencia should cost when mated with a Bionx PL-350. Another
problem is, because it's Bionx, it's all proprietary and I can't just
swap in a cheap(er) Ping battery.

So far I'm pretty happy with it. I rode it home yesterday and only
used the assist for a few of the hills. I actually used the highest
setting going up the steep part of the bridge and it felt like I had a
100 mph tailwind. My knees smiled.

dgk wrote:
The + means that it has a hub motor and battery. I got it because I'm
closing in on 60 and have a 30 mile (r/t) commute. The hills and
headwinds have been combining to make it unpleasant lately so I
figured that I'd find a way to make it more fun.

Well, this bike sure does make it more fun. There's no throttle; it
only works in Pedal Assist mode. The controller allows me to select
anywhere from no assistance to 200% assistance. It will not work at
all if I'm not pedaling. I didn't want a moped, I wanted a bike that
gave me the equivalent of a 20 mile (r/t) commute.

I went up the Queensboro Bridge at around 16 mph. My normal speed up
that thing is 8 mph and that's while I invent new words. I got to work
so fast that I had to kill time because I can't bring the bike up to
my office before the freight elevator starts working at 8am.

Killing time was interesting. One of the neat things about the bike is
that there are also four regeneration modes that let you charge the
battery, sort of like a Prius but hopefully without a recall. I kept
it on the lowest regen setting and biked along at normal speed for the
last few miles. It's sort of like a Spinning bike; I can set the regen
mode to give me more resistance. I probably got about the same
exercise as normal but more of it was on the flats and less on the
hills.

Trek used the Bionx kit as the basis for the electronics, and I'm not
sure I wouldn't have been better off just putting a Bionx kit on my
old bike. The battery Trek uses is 6.4 MA instead of 10.0 on the
normal kit. That means that the range, using mostly the lowest level
of assist, is around 30 miles instead of 45 or 50. But it's enough for
my commute - although I bought an extra charger and leave one at home
and one at the office. I understand that it isn't good for the battery
to continuously run it down.

It is very back-heavy. The standard Bionx kit puts the battery in the
center of the frame while the Trek has it on a special rear rack.
Still, it is light enough so it's still a pleasure to ride without
needing the power at all. Unlike the $500 Ebikes that use SLA
batteries and can't really be used as a regular bike, this one is a
regular bike - although at around $2400 (with tax) it isn't cheap.

So far, so good. And only possible because NYC passed a law that
forces commercial buildings to let bikes in. Thank you, NYC Council
members. I sure wasn't leaving this bike outside like my trusty old
Trek 7100.



Interesting, thanks. Keep us posted.

On Mar 17, 9:52 am, dgk wrote:
The + means that it has a hub motor and battery. ...

It is very back-heavy. The standard Bionx kit puts the battery in the
center of the frame while the Trek has it on a special rear rack.
Still, it is light enough so it's still a pleasure to ride without
needing the power at all.

Seems more sensible to put the battery on a front rack, rather than a
rear one. A bike's front wheel is relatively unloaded, so it has much
more load capacity. But more to the point, to me it's always seemed
easier to handle a front load.

Perhaps it's related to my boyhood paperboy experience, but when you
maneuver a bike (walking or riding) by muscling the handlebars, front-
mounted weight is directly under control. The rest of the bike always
follows along. Heavy and (especially) high loads on the rear tend to
tip the bike and make it unwieldy.

On some "credit card" bike tours, I've carried mine and my wife's
clothing up front in low rider panniers, and left the rear practically
unladen. Seems to handle better than rear panniers.

- Frank Krygowski

"dgk" wrote in message
...

The + means that it has a hub motor and battery. I got it because I'm
closing in on 60 and have a 30 mile (r/t) commute. The hills and
headwinds have been combining to make it unpleasant lately so I
figured that I'd find a way to make it more fun.

Well, this bike sure does make it more fun. There's no throttle; it
only works in Pedal Assist mode. The controller allows me to select
anywhere from no assistance to 200% assistance. It will not work at
all if I'm not pedaling. I didn't want a moped, I wanted a bike that
gave me the equivalent of a 20 mile (r/t) commute.

I went up the Queensboro Bridge at around 16 mph. My normal speed up
that thing is 8 mph and that's while I invent new words. I got to work
so fast that I had to kill time because I can't bring the bike up to
my office before the freight elevator starts working at 8am.

Killing time was interesting. One of the neat things about the bike is
that there are also four regeneration modes that let you charge the
battery, sort of like a Prius but hopefully without a recall. I kept
it on the lowest regen setting and biked along at normal speed for the
last few miles. It's sort of like a Spinning bike; I can set the regen
mode to give me more resistance. I probably got about the same
exercise as normal but more of it was on the flats and less on the
hills.

Trek used the Bionx kit as the basis for the electronics, and I'm not
sure I wouldn't have been better off just putting a Bionx kit on my
old bike. The battery Trek uses is 6.4 MA instead of 10.0 on the
normal kit. That means that the range, using mostly the lowest level
of assist, is around 30 miles instead of 45 or 50. But it's enough for
my commute - although I bought an extra charger and leave one at home
and one at the office. I understand that it isn't good for the battery
to continuously run it down.

It is very back-heavy. The standard Bionx kit puts the battery in the
center of the frame while the Trek has it on a special rear rack.
Still, it is light enough so it's still a pleasure to ride without
needing the power at all. Unlike the $500 Ebikes that use SLA
batteries and can't really be used as a regular bike, this one is a
regular bike - although at around $2400 (with tax) it isn't cheap.

So far, so good. And only possible because NYC passed a law that
forces commercial buildings to let bikes in. Thank you, NYC Council
members. I sure wasn't leaving this bike outside like my trusty old
Trek 7100.


My wife has the euro-version of the same bike, and it's made it possible for
her to commute between our home and the shop. There was a time when she rode
a fair amount, but that was two kids ago and let's just say she's not in the
same shape now as then. The Trek e-bike has made a huge difference in her
willingness to ride, and she's getting out on some recreational rides on
Sundays as well. For our hilly terrain, a bit over 20 miles is average for a
battery charge.

Trek did a good job pairing up the Bionx equipment with sturdy stuff that
should hold up very well. The battery size and placement were chosen so that
it would be as much like a "normal" bike as possible (allowing water bottle
access and sorta hiding the battery in plain sight, if you know what I
mean). The Bionx motor and battery aren't cheap, but I did quite a bit of
research on them previously (before I knew Trek was coming out with one, I
was getting ready to mod one of her existing bikes) and they seem to be the
way to go. The company's been around long enough that there's some assurance
you'll be able to get parts down the road... there are a lot of orphaned
electric bikes out there from just a few years ago, and I didn't want to add
to that collection.

Regarding speeding up the hill, I know exactly what you mean. I have no
trouble keeping up with her on the flats (as you're aware, it tops out at
20mph for any sort of assist; past that, you're on your own) but once we get
to a good hill, she can motor up it at a speed that leaves me pretty
severely out of breath.

Keep us posted on your experiences. Thanks-

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

God, I would never ride one of those stupid things. I find them
ludicrous. Why won't people simply get in shape instead? Americans are
always looking for shortcuts to everything. It makes me sick. Screw
electric bicycles.

God, I would never ride one of those stupid things. I find them
ludicrous. Why won't people simply get in shape instead? Americans are
always looking for shortcuts to everything. It makes me sick. Screw
electric bicycles.

God, I would never ride one of those stupid things. I find them
ludicrous. Why won't people simply get in shape instead? Americans are
always looking for shortcuts to everything. It makes me sick. Screw
electric bicycles.

Bill wrote:
God, I would never ride one of those stupid things. I find them
ludicrous. Why won't people simply get in shape instead? Americans are
always looking for shortcuts to everything. It makes me sick. Screw
electric bicycles.

Heard ya the first two times.